Support for a coiled electric heating element



June 27, 1967 J. J. JASIONOWSKI 3,327,966

SUPPORT FOR A COILED ELECTRIC HEATING ELEMENT Filed Aug. 19, 1965 In men?1' United States Patent 3,327,966 SUPPORT FOR A COILED ELECTRIC HEATINGELEMENT Joseph J. Jasionowski, Niles, Ill., assignor to FerroCorporation, a corporation of Ohio Filed Aug. 19, 1965, Ser. No. 480,9823 Claims. (Cl. 248205) This invention relates to a support and moreparticularly to a support for a coiled electric heating element.

It is the general object of the present invention to produce a new andimproved support of the character described.

It is a more particular object of the invention to produce a supportdesigned to be utilized to support a coiled electric heating elementtogether with a cooking utensil placed thereon with the support beingconnected to the heating element in a new and novel fashion.

The use of supports, often referred to as spiders, for supporting coiledelectric heating elements has been prevalent for a substantial period oftime. In the usual construction, the spider is permanently affixed tothe heating element in a manner normally prohibiting the separation ofthe two. This latter fact has given rise to some dissatisfaction in thatreplacement of the heating element also requires replacement of thesupporting spider. Furthermore, where the spider is crimped or staked tothe hot portions of the heating element, a number of disadvantagesresult. For example, the differential expansion of the parts may cause achange in the shape of the heating element resulting in a crack in themagnesium oxide insulation normally contained therein, and thereby causea dielectric breakdown. If the spider is staked to the hot portion ofthe sheath, the staking operation may cause a tear or rupture in thesheath permitting water to enter. Furthermore, oxidation of the stakedparts at high temperature may cause loosening of the connection betweenthe spider and the heating element. Differential expansion between thespider and electric sheath may be permitted where the two are securedtogether by means of tie-bars welded to the elements, but the weldingoperation is a difiicult one requiring careful surface preparation,proper setting of the welding controls, etc.

All of the foregoing disadvantages have been eliminated by the structureof the present invention, wherein means in the form of spring clips areprovided for securing the spider to the heating element with the springclips being readily disengageable to permit separation of the spiderfrom the heating element. Because of the construction of the springclips, differential expansion may occur without damage to the parts, nowelding, staking, or crimping is necessary at the heated area, and theheating element alone may be replaced without the necessity of replacingthe spider.

Other and further objects and advantages of the present invention willbe readily apparent from the following description and drawings, inwhich:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a heating element and spider embodying theengaging means of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view along line 33 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional view along line 44 of FIG. 1.

While this invention is susceptible of embodiment in many differentforms, there is shown in the drawings and will herein be described indetail a specific embodiment, with the understanding that the presentdisclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principlesof ice the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to theembodiment illustrated. The scope of the invention will be pointed outin the appended claims.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown a coiled heating element10 provided with a pair of parallel terminal portions 11 and 12extending radially from one side of the center of the coil across thecenter and outwardly to be on the other side of the center. As is commonin such construct-ion, the terminal portions 11 and 12 are not heatedduring operation of the heating element. The ends of the terminalportions .are secured to contacts 13 positioned within a block 14 ofinsulating material which, in turn, contains suitable terminals so thatit may be plugged into a source of electrical energy.

Underlying the electric heating element 10 is a supporting spider 15having a circular central portion 16 and a plurality of legs 17, 18 and19 extending radially outwardly from the central portion. Theextremities of the legs are adapted to rest upon a suitable lip or shelf(not shown) provided on a cook top, and thus support the heating elementand a cooking utensil placed thereon.

An insulating block 14 is secured by means of a screw 21 to the bracket20 with the bracket being provided with a downwardly turned portion 22having suitable apertures therein through which the terminal portions 11and 12 extend, the edges of the apertures being in fixed engagement withsaid terminal portions. Secured to the upper surface of the bracket 20'is a U-shaped spring clip 23 engageable in a slot 24 formed near theouter end of the leg 19. The spring clip 23 is readily disengageablefrom the slot by depressing the portion 25 of the clip therebypermitting withdrawal of the clip from the slot with rotational movementof the spider.

A second spring clip 26 is secured to the central portion 16 of thespider and is provided with a narrow neck portion 27 integrallyconnected to enlarged downwardly extending portions 28 and 29 positionedto engage the outer edges of the terminal portions 11 and 12 as shown inFIG. 4.

It will be clear from the foregoing description that with the U-shapedclip 23 engaged in the slot 24 and the down wardly extending portions 28.and 29 of the second spring clip engaging the terminal portions asshown, the spider is firmly secured to the heating element and thus isdisposed to support the same during normal use. To remove the spider itis simply rotated relative to the heating element to disengage the clip23 from the slot 24. When this has been accomplished, outward movementof the spider relative to the heating element will disengage the secondspring clip thus separating the two parts. It will be noted thatalthough the parts are readily separable the heating element and spiderare firmly retained in engagement with each other when the spring clipsare engaged but the engagement is such as to not only permit relativeexpansion between the spider and the heating element, but also toprovide a firm engagement without the necessity of staking, crimping, orwelding, and thus without danger of damage to the sheathed heatingelement.

I claim:

1. A support for a coiled electric heating element having a linearlyextending terminal portion comprising a spider having a central portionto underlie the center of the element, a plurality of legs extendingradially outwardly from said central portion, a first supporting meansfor the spider securable to said terminal portion and being constructedand arranged to be readily engageable with and disengageable from one ofsaid legs, a second supporting means secured to said central portion andbeing constructed and arranged to be readily engageable with anddisengageable from the terminal portion, whereby said spider may bereadily secured to the heating element in supporting relationshiptherewith or removed therefrom.

2. A support for a coiled electric heating element having a pair ofparallel terminal portions extending radially from one side of thecenter of the element to beyond the opposite side thereof, said supportcomprising a spider having a central portion and a plurality of legsextending radially outwardly of the central portion, a bracket securableto the terminal portions adjacent their outer ends, a spring clipcarried by the bracket and engageable with the outer end of a leg, 21second spring clip on the central portion of the spider and engageablewith the terminal portions on said one side of the center of the heatingelement, said spring clips being readily disengageable to permitseparation of the spider from the heating element.

3. A support for a coiled electric heating element having a pair ofparallel terminal portions extending radially from one side of thecenter of the element to beyond the opposite side thereof, said supportcomprising a spider having a central portion and a plurality of legsextending radially outwardly of the central portion, a bracket securableto the terminal portions adjacent their outer ends, a slot in the outerend of one of the legs, a U-shaped spring clip secured to the bracketand engageable in the slot, a second spring clip on the central portionof the spider and having spaced downwardly extending portions engageablewith the terminal portions on said one side of the center of the heatingelement, said spring clips being readily disengageable to permitseparation of the spider from the heating element.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,016,445 1/1962 Lien 219-455 X3,021,414 2/1962 Sand 219451 3,188,449 6/1965 Hanson 219-455 CHANCELLORE. HARRIS, Primary Examiner.

20 JOHN PETO, Examiner.

1. A SUPPORT FOR A COILED ELECTRIC HEATING ELEMENT HAVING A LINEARLYEXTENDING TERMINAL PORTION COMPRISING A SPIDER HAVING A CENTRAL PORTIONTO UNDERLIE THE CENTER OF THE ELEMENT, A PLURALITY OF LEGS EXTENDINGRADIALLY OUTWARDLY FROM SAID CENTRAL PORTION, A FIRST SUPPORTING MEANSFOR THE SPIDER SECURABLE TO SAID TERMINAL PORTION AND BEING CONSTRUCTEDAND ARRANGED TO BE READILY ENGAGEABLE WITH AND DISENGAGEABLE FROM ONE OFSAID LEGS, A SECOND SUPPORTING MEANS SECURED TO SAID CENTRAL PORTION ANDBEING CONSTRUCTED AND ARRANGED TO BE READILY ENGAGEABLE WITH ANDDISENGAGEABLE FROM THE TERMINAL PORTION, WHEREBY SAID SPIDER MAY BEREADILY SECURED TO THE HEATING ELEMENT IN SUPPORTING RELATIONSHIPTHEREWITH OR REMOVED THEREFROM.